Lane Repair
by hazel6016
Summary: AU story that happen a few years after season 4. Clark lives in metropolis and Lois came to him for his help with a story that will change both their lives.
1. Chapter 1

Note: i don't own anything but the story.

n/a: this story center around Lois and Clark. there are other characters. the only thing u should know and can't understood from the story is that Chloe doesn't know Clark secret.  
read, enjoy (or not) and review. 10X

Lois stood in a neglected street in the even more neglected part of Hob's Bay and watch a dilapidated building. Skinny cat that its ribs were sticking out chewed a rotten rat on one of the garbage cans. Rude graffiti covered the walls and the door of the building. She looked in the note that Chloe gave her, checking the address again. Yeah, that's the street and that's the building although the number had long been stolen and the sign that declare that this building is going to be demolish swing on one nail. Children sat on the stairs leading to the building smoking cigarettes with eyes that saw too much.

Lois took a breath, squared her shoulders and marched with determination toward the building. The eyes of the children followed her. The lock on the door was broken and she had to use force to open the door. The elevator doors were open but the elevator was stuck in middle floor and full with garbage. Lois climbed carefully on the shaky stairs.

_"After his parents died and Lexcorp bought the farm, he finished high school and disappeared for few years." Chloe told her, "And when he came back he just moved there. I run in to him when I went to Met-U. He gave me his address reluctantly."_  
_"Was he ashamed?"_  
_"No. He just didn't want to keep in touch. I really don't understand why it is so important for you to see him."_

Lois got to the fifth floor, the top floor, of the building. Loud yelling came from one of the apartments; a kid cried from another one and from a third came noise from noisy TV. She found his door, the only one that wasn't locked, even open. Lois push the door and it opened with difficulty, with a squeak. It was very small very clean apartment. One room with a kitchenette and a narrow door to the restroom. There was only one narrow bed, one chair and a table with a few books. Lois tried to turn on the light but nothing happened, there wasn't power. The place was very cold.

_"He gave up his scholarship. I never understood why." Lana told her while she put her baby in the car seat. "Pete tried to keep in touch with him but he just lost something that day. He wasn't himself anymore. After he yelled at me to leave him alone I decided to stop trying. He can ruin his life for all I care."_

There was only one picture on the wall, without a frame, of his parents. There was a window and someone tried to clean it but the glass was damage from the elements and nothing could've changed that. There was barely any food in the cabinets. Lois opened the small closet. The few cloths in there were very neat, grey t-shirts and dark jeans. She close the closet and looked around. She could see him un this apartment, sitting on the chair, reading his books, passing days without talking to anyone.

The door hinges squeaked and Lois turn around. A tall bearded somber man stood in the door. She almost didn't recognize the young smiling man that saved her from drowning many years ago.

"Clark…" she whispered, voice choked with tears.

"Lois? What are you doing here?" His voice rough like he didn't use it for a long time.

"I came to take you for coffee."

"I don't drink coffee." He straightened, crossed his arms and looked down at her, all of him tells her 'go away and leave me alone' but Lois wasn't going to give up so easy.

"You don't have to drink but I'm taking you to a coffee."

"Lois, I…"

"Come on, let's go." She took his hand and pulled him outside, down the stairs and in to the street. "Grey was never your color."

"Lois, I don't want to reminisce."

"Maybe but I do so march on!"

They walked for fifteen minutes all the while Lois refuses to release his hand from hers and pulling him away from Hob's Bay. They were about to cross the 10th avenue and leaves Hob's Bay to the better parts of Metropolis when Clark planted his feet in the sidewalk and refused to move.

"Where are you taking me? We passed at least ten coffee shops already."

"Just over there, across the street, to 'Metro Café'."

Clark reluctantly agreed to be drug across the street. Lois sat him on one of the chair and ordered two cups of coffee.

"I don't drink coffee, Lois."

"How said it's for you?"

"Lois, what do you want from me? I'm not hurting anyone, I live my life." Lois raised an eyebrow.

"I need your help."

"The general's daughter needs my help. Yeah, right!"

"I need to go to Gotham City and I need back up."

"Since when do you need back up? And why me?"

"I want to work in the Daily Planet as a reporter and my story leads to Gotham City."

"Gotham is dangerous, Lois."

"That's why you're coming with me."

"Why me?"

"I was in Smallville for only short time and you mange to save my life a many times?"

"I'm no hero, Lois, I can hardly get up in the morning."

"I saw your apartment, I'm not surprise." He didn't respond. "For me you are a hero, Clark, no one else would've found me in those tunnels in time; no one else would've tried to prove my innocent so hard."

"They found another reason to expel you…"

"Yeah, well. And then the general sent me to find Lucy. That why I wasn't around when…" Clark stiffened. "When that happened. I'm sorry, Clark, it shouldn't happened."

"Well, it did happen and I don't want to think about that."

"Clark, please, come with me to Gotham."

"You're better off without me." He got up and turn to leave.

"They find some strange stone, from the caves." Clark froze, "They say that it cause a serious mess." He turned to her.

"They say?"

"Yea. It's a rumor. Patricia Swann, Dr. Swann, told me that her father studied those symbols all his life. She thinks that Lionel Luther killed him." Clark returned to his seat.

"How do you know Patricia Swann?" Lois sipped from her coffee and looked at him.

"My father introduced us. Patricia told me that about the stone, and how it surfaced in Gotham."

"What kind of mess one ancient stone can create?"

"She said that one criminal claimed that somehow he transferred to another body. He tried to used it as a defense and the judge sent him to observation. From what I gathered he is still in Arkham."

"It sounds like your kind of troubles. It's not for me, Lois." He stood up.

"Clark…"

"Good bye, Lois." He leaned suddenly and kissed her on her cheek and then he left. Lois stayed in the coffee shop her hand on her cheek.

* * *

sorry about the mess. i hope it's more readable now.

tbc


	2. Chapter 2

Note: I need to explain something. I wrote this story originally as a one-shot and not in English [in Hebrew if you must know] however as a one-shot it's very long that is why I split it to chapters and why there will be mistakes. I still new in this site and don't exactly know what to write in the notes part. **So, again, I don't own the characters they belong to DC, WB or\and CW**. I only own the idea for this story. I hope it's not too confusing.  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed.  
Read, enjoy [or not] and review.

Lois got off the train and left the station. A limousine waited for her. The driver put her small suitcase in the trunk and Lois got inside where Patricia Swann waited for her.

"So, how was the trip?"

"Long and boring."

"I fought you're going to bring someone with you. Clark Kent? That's his name?"

"He decided to pass."

"You don't sound please. I fought you don't share bylines."

"With him it's different. Or at least I fought so. Where are we going?"

"To the hotel. I fought that you'll want to rest a little bit, to start fresh."

"No. Let's go to Arkham to talk to your crazy person."

"Are you sure?"

"Yea, I'm not going to stay in this city more than I have to." Patricia nodded in resignation and informed the driver about the change in destination.

"You were much keener last time we talked. It's got anything to do with Mr. Kent?"

"Patricia, can we not talk about him, please?"

"No problem. Sorry, Lois." Lois nodded slightly and turn away to the window.

Half an hour later the limousine stopped near a gloomy gothic building and Lois got out from the limousine. The driver took her suitcase out and put it on the sidewalk near her. Patricia watched her from the car.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes. I don't know a much time it's going to take so there isn't point for you to wait. I can mange from here."

"Good luck, Lois." The limousine left and Lois waved.

Lois straightened her blue suit, took her suitcase, crossed the road and rang the bell. The intercom rustled.

"Who's there?"

"Lois Lane, Metro press agency. I have an appointment with Dr. Brunnen."

After a minute the gate slowly opened and a security guard stood in the opening.

"Miss Lane?" Lois nodded. "Came with me, please."

Lois walked after the guard through the cobbled courtyard to the grey building that towered above then. The guard led her to the elevator and rode with her to the third floor. He led her in the corridor toward Dr. Brunnen's office. The secretary in the dark grey suit asked her to sit down and the guard left. Lois sat down, the only color in the office that was all in grey, even the picture on the wall behind the secretary looked gloomy and grey. After a few minutes Dr. Brunnen opened his office door and invited her in.

"Miss Lane, nice to meet you. Please, take a seat."

"Thank you, Dr. Brunnen."

"Miss Swann told me that you want to meet Andrew Stuck."

"Yes, he has an interesting story."

"Mr. Stuck is suffering from illusions, Miss Lane. He needs treatment not publicity and especially not one that will show him as a freak. Gotham already has too many of those."

"I couldn't agree more, Dr. Brunnen. I'm here because I'm interesting in hearing his story. I curious to know what made him such weird story and from what I understood he wants to speak to me."

"Yes, Mr. Stuck did express that desire. However, I'm not sure that it's a good idea to make him believe that there is truth in his illusions."

"Maybe you could help me with that. Can you provide me with a little background on Mr. Stuck. He is a jewelry thief, isn't it?" Dr. Brunnen leaned back and crossed his fingers.

"Hmm… Yes. He was caught with a sack full of jewelry from Gotham's Diamonds exchanges. He claims that he wasn't the one who stole them, that someone touched him with a stone and they exchanged bodies and then switched again when that man was about to get caught."

"It's sound unbelievable, Dr. Brunnen. And I can't see how this story helps him, because clearly he had to be in the crime scene for this bodies exchange." Dr. Brunnen smiled, he liked this woman. Lois had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. "And where this mysterious stone of his now?"

"I suppose in Gotham police's evidences locker room, although I heard rumors that Lex Luther is interesting in buying it in a very high price. Which of course it's ridiculous! Mr. Luther will never consider doing something like that."

"Of course not." Lois said in encouraging smile.

"You know, on second thought, maybe it will help Andrew to tell his story to third party. However, I want it to happen in a treatment and I'm going to tape it, Miss Lane."

"Whatever you deem necessary, Dr. Brunnen." She suppresses the victory smile that was about cover her face.

* * *

Two hours later Lois exited from Arkham. The guard ordered her a cab and she went to her hotel. When she got off the cab and was about to get into the hotel same drunk caused a riot and managed to drop three men hard to the sidewalk before he despaired. Lois registered in the hotel and went straight to the bar and sat next to the bar. The TV above the bar was toned to the news. She ordered herself a beer and something to eat. She just finished her dinner when the bartender raised the volume of the TV. Lois looked on the TV and saw Lex Luther on the screen.

"…it's a disgraces that the Gotham police can't present the evidences in court and therefore a law abiding citizen like Mr. Stuck has to spend **six months** in arkham!"

"What is he talking about?" Lois asked.

"This afternoon, LexCorp's attorney who represent Mr. Stuck won his petition in court demanding that the G.P.D will present it's evidences against his client." Said the news anchor. "The police couldn't present all the evidences. Apparently a piece of stone with an ancient Indian symbol, a stone that according to Stuck responsible for his 'bodies exchange', wasn't found in the police's evidences locker room. The police state that the stone was there in the last time that the case was check, two days ago when the attorney filed his petition. Castelbuom, Mr. Stuck's attorney, said that if the police can't present all the evidences it undermines the credibility of the case."

Lois signed for her dinner took her suitcase and exited the hotel where the doorman found her a cab that brought her to police's headquarter. The place was surrounded with reporters, television's vans and demonstrators. Lois noticed Lex from a far, standing near the cameras and move away from there when someone hold her and dragged her to the shadows. She almost screamed when she recognized Clark. He stank from alcohol.

"Smallville! What are you doing here?"

"Didn't you say that you need backup?"

"Didn't you say that you don't want to get in to troubles?"

"Bad habits die hard."

"Which bad habit?" she knew what he was about to say but the smile that cover his face and shone through the beard warm her heart.

"Getting you out of troubles."

"You were the drunk from before?"

"Yes, Luther's people really want that stone of yours."

"It's not mine! I wasn't even near any police's station today. And how did you find me anyway?"

"Lex is covering all possibilities." She stared at him.

"so what are you doing here?"

"Making sure that you leave Gotham in one piece and soon."

"I'm not leaving before I find out what's going on!"

"someone stole the stone from police's headquarter. My guess? It's the guy with the green hood. How the newspapers call him?"

"You mean Green Arrow?

"Yeah, him."

"But what he has to do with ancient stones?"

"It's seem he has some special pleasure in steeling from the Luthers. And if he can get something before them even better."

"But he can sell it. It's a worthless stone!"

"Maybe he will return the thing to the museum that lost it." Clark shrugged.

"It was stolen from a museum? Which one?"

"How do I know? You said it's an ancient stone with Indian symbol. It's sound to me like something from a museum. And now you have to get out of here." He pushed her back to the street and to the cab that waited there. He put her suitcase in the trunk and talk to the cab driver quietly and gave him money.

"Clark!" she called after him.

"I'll meet you in Metropolis."


	3. Chapter 3

Note: I hope this chapter answers some questions.  
I don't own the characters they belong to DC, WB or\and CW. I only own the idea for this story.  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed.  
Read, enjoy [or not] and review.

Lois got off the train in Metropolis central station irate and frustrated. The cab driver in Gotham insisted to make sure that she got on the train and because it was a direct and express train to Metropolis, she couldn't get off. Now, on the platform she look around and started to advanced into the train station when she notice four overgrown men coming toward her. She changed direction, thinking all the while that Smallville made her paranoid but then she noticed them again, so she changed direction again this time with a propose. She advanced toward the women restroom, hoping that she wouldn't find some women inside waiting just for her, and in the last minute she entered to a phone booth and close the door. She pulled out the memory card with all the information that she gathered about the story and hide it in the hairpin that holds her hair. She left the phone booth and continued to the restroom like she didn't notice anything strange. She pushed the suitcase into one of the stalls and closed the door. In the last stall there was a narrow window. Lois climbed the seat and out of the window, managing just barely to not ripe her clothes. She found herself in a sided alley. She waited in the shadows for a few minutes until she found her opportunity. A garbage truck passes in the alley and she climbed it smiling to the amusement of the workers.

When she was far enough from the station and found herself in Hon's Bay, she climbed down from the truck and walked to Clark's apartment. Lex's men would never think to look for her there. It took her over an hour to get there and her legs were killing her. She got into the apartment and hided the card in the bathroom and then she just dropped on his bed and fell to sleep. She didn't stir when Clark entered the apartment or when he covered her with a blanket.

She woke up in the darkness, in unfamiliar place. It took her a minute or two to remember where she was.

"You're a wake, good!" Clark said from the kitchenette.

He lighted two candles and put them on the table near the bed. She wrapped herself even tighter in the blanket and sat on the bed.

"Do you ever pay the electricity bill?"

"I bought Chinese food and soda. Hungry?"

"Yes." He put the boxes on the table and she took the fork from his hand and start eating.

"Where's your suitcase?"

"Luther's men waited for me in the station. I had to leave it there."

"Can you still write your story?"

"Yes, I hided the information in a save place." She said in full mouth and he just smile.

"What do you need? I mean besides a hot shower." She stuck out her tongue.

"I need a computer with net connection."

"I can arrange something. Finish eating."

Lois ate until she was full and a pale light penetrated the apartment. When she was finished she enter to the restroom to take the card by the time she got out Clark already cleared all the leftover and put everything back. Only when they left the apartment she realized that Clark ate nothing.

Clark took Lois to the impoverished public library a short distance from his apartment.

"You spend here a lot of time?"

"It's a quiet place and people don't disturb me."

"Clark, I…"

"There are the computers. They maybe not the newest in the world but they will do the job. Need something else?"

"Your knowledge of the caves." She said sitting near one of the computers.

"My knowledge? But…"

"Only you know more about the cave than even Lex and I don't think he will help me. Sit!" Clark sat next before he even realized that.

Lois put the card in the card reader in the computer and waited for the information to go up, all the time sending looks toward him. She started collecting her data.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"What's with the looks?"

"Clark, what happened to you? Not in a million years I would've thought that I will find you living like a hermit in Hob's Bay." He shrugged.

"Nothing left for me in Smallville."

"What about the farm? What about Lana or Chloe?"

"After I… After I lost them I didn't see a reason to stay."

"But to live like this? In this kind of emptiness?"

Clark kept quiet and the computer beeped and Lois turned her attention to it. She started to write the article when Clark broke his silence.

"I want with Lana to china and only left a massage on the machine and when I come back they were died. Something just tore them apart. "Lois said nothing, just listen to him. Something told her it was time he talked about it to anyone. "Sheriff Adams didn't know what it was. There were microscopic stone fragment in the… in the remains. If I was home I could've prevented that from happening. They could've been alive now."

"I can't know that! You could've been killed yourself!"

"Lois," His voice broke, tears filled his eyes and he lowered his head. "it was my fault." Lois raised his head with her hand.

"Clark, I wasn't there either, is that mean that it was my fault too?"

"It's not the same thing…"

"Yes, it is! Stop blaming yourself. And stop the pity party too! It's been six years. Do you think that they would have liked to see you ruin your life like this? Talking to no one, live alone in a grey apartment, away from everyone who cares about you?"

"I…"

She took a handkerchief from her jacket's pocket and wiped his eyes and put it in his hand.

"I didn't think that you're the kind of person who gives up on life so easily." She returned to type on the keyboard. Clack just sat behind her watching her type for the longest time. He took a deep breath and stood up. Lois fallow him with her eyes but he only stood behind her, reading what she wrote.

"There is no E in 'Indian' and it's 'Andrew Stuck' not 'Stu'. Although with you, one can never be sure."

"Very funny, Smallville."

"And there is one name too many in the byline."

"I thought that you'll want the byline. You did help, a little."

"I prefer to not show on Lex radar just yet."

"Yet? You intended to come back to world of the living?"

"There something I need to do and I don't know where it'll lead me. But you right I have to stop the pity party. I can't change the past; I just can make sure not to repeat the same mistakes."

"You are going out for adventure?"

"Something like that." He grinned.

"Can I join you?" she sounded excited.

"You need to submit the story and become a reporter in the Daily Planet." She turned in her chair toward him.

"Clark…"

"I'm going to be ok. Don't worry about me." She turned back in her seat and press 'Print'.

"Who's worrying? Don't kid yourself, Smallville. And I want my handkerchief back. Clean." Clark just kept smiling.

Clark watched over her when she got into the daily Planet until she entered the editor's office. He wanted to make sure that Lex's men won't stop her. When he was sure that she was safe, he turned around and supersped away.

In minutes he was in the Kawatche caves near Smallville. He entered inside, avoiding the guards. When he approached the door it opened before him and he entered the hiding room with the table. He put the third stone in the socket that waited for het in the table. He found the first stone in Lex's plane, the second he found in China and now he had the third. Light come from the stone in red, blue and yellow and the stones come together and created a clear blue pentagon crystal. The crystal raised in the air to Clark's chest height. Clark hesitated for a moment and then held it firmly.

Bright white light surrounded him and a second later he found himself in snow cover tundra. He looked around him, trying to place himself, surprised still from the sudden relocation. The crystal in his hand started to light again, tingling. Clark opened his hand and the crystal rose from his hand pointing the direction for him and Clark in instinct grabbed the crystal and throw it far. The crystal flow away for about kilometer or two and descended in right angle deep into the snow. Clark looked in awe when a few minutes later the land shake a huge ice fortress erupted. He start walking toward the thing, somehow it didn't seemed right to superspeed inside, and enter the ice palace. The fortress was so huge that he would've felt small if the place didn't look so familiar. When he reached the heart of the fortress, he saw a console full of long transparent crystals that light all the space. One of the crystals come out of the console and floated before him. Clark hold him and white light come from it and the voice of Jor-El sounded from everywhere.

"Kal-El, my son, you have come far. One journey ended. A new journey is about to begin. Welcome home, my son."

"I thought Krypton was destroyed."

"It was, but here in your Fortress of Solitude, the geography of our planet has been replicated for your training."

"I know there's a lot I can learn from you."

"A dark force from krypton arrive with you to earth and it's now awakened, Kal-El."

"What dark force?"

"The one who killed your adopted parents. It's still in its dormant stage. When it'll come to his full strengths Earth and its people will not be save without your help." Clark ground his teeth.

"What do you want me to do?" A blue light encircled Clark.

"You must do as I tell you. Study with diligence, for this is the only way to save this planet."

Images and symbols now encircled Clark. His training has begun.

To be continued…


	4. Chapter 4

Note: I have a feeling that the last chapter disappointed people. You need to remember that this is a one-shot split to five and as such it isn't going too deep into things. The confrontation in the bullpen is taken almost word for word from the comics "Superman: Birthright".  
I don't own the characters; they belong to DC, WB or\and CW. I only own the idea for this story.  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed or marked to follow or as a favorite. Thank you very much!  
Read, enjoy [or not] and review. 

"Lois! You're still here?"

"I'm going, I'm going, don't have a heart attack! Jimmy, give me that scarf."

"Miss Lane, can I tag a long?"

"Sorry, Jimmy, not before Perry gives the OK. And it's not the time for this discussion anyway. I'm late." The elevator's doors closed.

"Sorry, Miss, I think you drop this."

Lois raised her head from the handbag she tried to sort and saw a hand which hold a handkerchief in front of her eyes. She took the handkerchief and looked at the guy that the hand belongs to.

"Clark Kent?"

"Hi, Lois."

He stood there with a suit and a tie, clean shave with black frame glasses and a smug smile. Lois stifled the urge to hug him.

"What did you do? Went to China for to dry cleaning it? Where were you in the last three years?"

"Here and there. I…"

"I would love to talk about that if I wasn't in a hurry which I'm. Good bye, Smallville." The elevator's door opened.

She hurried out and then through the revolving doors to the street and the cab that just embarked its passengers. Clark leaned on the wall near the elevator, still smiling. Lois, in the cab, took a deep breath. She couldn't understand why her heart beats so hard.

"City Hall." She told the driver.

"Yes, Miss."

Lois looked at the handkerchief that she still hold like her life depended on it and then shove it deep in to her handbag.

"I'm Monica Reed and this is the News in Five on LNN. And the biggest story of the day is the mysterious FLYING man who saved the Constitution. Today, the 250th anniversary of the Big Peach, at three o'clock the historic landing of the space shuttle almost become a deadly crash landing. As a result of an air collision between on of the escort jets and the Constitution, the engines and body of the shuttle were seriously damaged and the pilots started to lose control over the shuttle. The space shuttle was about to crash land on the crowds of people that come to watch the landing when a mysterious man rose to the air, hold the shuttle and landed it safely on the ground. Only thanks to his interference there weren't any casualty…"

"This is silly. I mean, you live in a city long enough "little girl paranoia" is supposed to be beat out of you." Lois sat in the Ace of Clubs with Jimmy, eating lunch.

"They were, and now you have reporter's instincts, Lois. I wouldn't be so quick to blow them off. Knew of a guy once, heard a noise every time he went to the bathroom. Turn out there was a camera-"

"Enough! I'm not being followed. Least of all by a man who can fly and carry a space shuttle over his head. End of story."

"What about my story?"

"End of that too. It's an urban legend."

"Says you…"

"Come on, Jimmy, let's get back to the bullpen."

They got up and left neither of them noticed Clark who sat in the next table smiling like the cat who ate all the canary.

The doors of the elevator opened and entered the floor of the bullpen of the Daily Planet. The floor was busy with reporters moving from place to place. Huge television screens that showed different news channels hung from the ceiling in the middle of the hall. Up on the walls run a marquee in red lights that report on the stock exchange and sports scores. Clark walked the main passage toward Perry White's office, looking curiously to all directions.

"-Because I own you, you intern twit." Come a loud noise from one of the side passage ways. A pudgy half bold man emptied a garbage can over a young red headed man chasing him to the main passage. "Now, you will wear this wastebasket on your head so you can hear the gentle reinforcing echo as you say one hundred times 'Mr. Galloway asked me for strawberry, not berry-banana.' Ready, jack?"

"Umm… It's 'Jim', actually." The young man tried to say.

"Your name is whatever put on your too-generous paycheck, you lout!"

Clark whispered to the older reporter who stood near him

"Who's that?"

"That's Quentin Galloway, the publisher."

"Does he treat everyone in the newsroom like this?"

"Today's one of his good days. Man, this hard to watch but… y'know what you gonna do…?"

The humiliation was interrupted by a feminine voice.

"Hey!" Lois lane pushed behind Clark straight to the affray. "His name is Jimmy Olsen."

"Jim." The red hair said wiping the berry-banana shake from his face.

"Quiet. Jimmy. Not 'lout', not 'twit'. You think you're a big shot? Publicly humiliating an employee because you're in a bad mood about a shake is small and it is petty."

"Lois Lane. Didn't you used to be somebody?" The contempt in Galloway's voice was unmistakable. "Why aren't you on the trail of some UFO or crop circle or a meteor freak? Slow news day?"

"Back off. You pay for our work, not our dignity. I do not like bullies, and you will not push good people around just because you're bigger. Not while I'm here."

Seeing the smile on Clark face the older reporter whispered

"What?"

"I think I'm in love."

"And when exactly are you here, Ms. Lane? Travel vouchers for Kuala Lumpur, Vancouver, Gulfport, Mississippi…" Galloway waved pile of paper in Lois face, "Six months ago, you had a reputation. You had respect. Not mine, of course, but apparently that of your peers. But that was before you locked onto same fairy tale and began following so-called 'leads' all over the world. A gravity-defying strongman in jeans and red leather jacket who does 'good deeds', La De Dah." Galloway paused to take breath, "Do you realize your co-workers call this 'Lois Lane's loony lark'?" Clark suppressed a smile. Lois removed the cup of berry-banana shake from Jimmy head.

"Hundreds of people saw that 'lark' catch a falling space shuttle a few weeks back." She said.

"Yes. Almost as many as believe that Andy Kaufman is still alive. Meanwhile, hundreds more have different explanations for it landing safely, and NASA denies everything."

"My investigation isn't done, and you're changing the subject. You want to have temper tantrums, be my guest. But if you want an efficient news organization full of adults, stop poisoning it with childishness." She shoved the cup of shake in his chest "You're a leader. I expect better from you."

In the staring contest that commenced between them Galloway gave up first. Jimmy and Lois watched him go.

"You're so my hero!" said jimmy.

"Don't mention it, seriously, don't. Go cleaned up and stay away from Galloway." Jimmy nodded and went to the restroom to clean up.

"Wow!" Lois turned around to see Clark.

"Smallville?"

"Well done. You'll still be here tomorrow, right?"

"Galloway has called Perry and they're deciding what Perry can trade this time to keep me on staff. What are you doing here?" girl with short blue hair and glasses approached Clark.

"Mr. Kent? Editor White will see you now."

"You joining the Planet?"

"Yeah. Someone told me that life of a hermit doesn't suit me." He said with a easy smile.

"Mr. Kent, he's waiting." Said the girl impatiently.

"Right behind you. Sorry."

To be continued…


	5. Chapter 5

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"Clark Kent! How many years since we met? Nine? Eight?"

"Ten."

"I started to believe that I'll never see you in my office. Thought that you'll stay in that farm forever."

"I came to the conclusion that I want to be where everything happens."

"Well, I read some of the things you wrote. For the life of me I can't understand how you mange to score an interview with the head of the Green Underground and your writing obviously improve since high school however I'm not sure you have what it takes to work in the Daily Planet. You're too quiet, mild manner, shy."

"I can get the stories, Mr. White." Clark answered in a quiet voice.

"Prove it! If you've got what it takes, Kent, show me. Show me right now or stop wasting my time!"

"Mister White!" Clark shouted in warning.

"Kent, there isn't a reason to shout-"

Clark throw any caution to the wind and pushed Perry White over his big oak desk and just in time because the copter that floated in the last ten minutes outside the building start shooting at a furious rate in to the newsroom's offices. The copter that shot Perry White's office moved on after his first salvo. All over the newsroom people got up carefully looking in shock at the big windows that were perforated with big bullets' holes where the glass didn't shatter. Clark took advantage of their distraction to go to the elevator and force open the doors; he got inside and removed his business suit in superspeed.

"Lane! Call the Pentagon! Find somebody who can explain… Lois? Where in hell is Lane?" White yelled.

* * *

Lois was on the roof, drugging Jimmy toward the Daily Planet's news chopper.

"Up there? Are you insane?"

"Galloway was right, kid. I need a big story. Besides, you wanted to be a reporter!"

"Yes. Alive one!"

"Relax. Military family! I've been flying birds like this since I was nine!" She started the engine.

"Daaaah!" Jimmy scream when the chopper shock.

"Whoops. Throttle's this one. Sorry." The chopper took off hobbling in the air.

"So wrong… So wrong…" Mumbled Jimmy non stop in fear.

"No, no, no. 'Front page… Front page'." Lois smiled in excitement. "Buckle up and get that camera ready!"

They started chasing the big black copters that started to shot on buildings all over the city, Lois piloting and Jimmy shooting pictures.

"Over there! That restaurant!" Lois drew Jimmy's attention to a rooftop restaurant near by.

"I see it! Nobody's hurt yet, But it's just a matter of time!"

"Bite your tongue-!"

"Ms. Lane, look OUT!"

One of the black copters crashed from above the little news chopper's propeller. From the impact Jimmy fell from the chopper. Lois screamed in horror.

"JIMMYYYY!"

The chopper turned upside down in the air, Jimmy screaming as he fell.

"AAAAAAH!"

"No! Oh, God…Not like this…Oh, God…Oh, G… ?"

Jimmy and Lois stopped their screaming in surprise. Both stop falling, their fall was stop by a man flying. They looked in shock at the red waving cape, the blue skin-tight suit with the yellow S shield. He had black hair but because they were both upside down they had difficulty to recognize his features. He started to descend, holding Jimmy in one hand and the chopper with Lois in it on the other.

Once Lois was safely on the ground again, she regained her composure fast.

"It's you. It's really you!" Jimmy started to take pictures.

"Don't be afraid."

"I'm not! Sky! Copters! Artillery! Danger! Go go GO!" She offered her card. "Then we talk."

The man only smiled and took off to the air again saying

"It's ok. Ms. Lane, I know where to find you."

Lois started running.

"Ms. Lane! Where are you going?" Jimmy cried.

"After him! Where do you think?" Jimmy hurried after her.

The copters kept spreading havoc all over the city and everywhere they did, the man in red and blue stopped them. Lois and Jimmy although they tried, didn't mange to catch up to him before he disappeared.

* * *

The headline of the Daily Planet cried in big bold letters "Superman!", the main story was Lois' and the picture was Jimmy's. Lois at her desk in the newsroom enjoyed the admiration of her peers, her legs on the desk and she was leaning backward in her chair.

"Now, now, boys… calling this 'The story of the century' might be a little much… Oh, what the hell. Go ahead…"

"Ahem." Said a voice behind her.

"Chief!" She turned around straitening in her chair. Perry stood there one hand on Clark back.

"Speaking. Not to interrupt the Pulitzer awards going on in your darling imagination, but I want you to meet your new partner. Say something, Kent."

"Hi." Clark smirked.

"Quite the chatterbox, isn't he?" Perry still had band-aid on his forehead.

"Puh… Par… Partn…?" Lois just couldn't say the word.

"Just for while, while he learns the ropes. I wasn't going to hire him…" Perry started looking at the works of the other reporters while still talking to Lois. "but he filed one hell of an expose on the chopper sabotage. Seems the engineer at WayneTech who headed the defense contract and built the test choppers, one 'Paul Paxton', used to go by his real name of Otto Juris back when he worked for LexCorp." Perry moved from one desk to another, checking computers. "LexCorp was bidding against WayneTech for this contract. With the copters' spectacular failure, Luthor's company was a shoo-in. Was. Because while Kent couldn't prove a definite connection, the government nevertheless took LexCorp out of the running. That's the first dirt anyone's turned up on Luthor since over! I'd say that earns Kent his shot." Perry returned to his office. Lois stood up in Clark face.

"Off a pretty thin lead. How'd you stumble across it?"

"Overheard somebody. Followed a hunch. What? What are you looking at?"

"Since when do you wear glasses? And why are you reminding me of someone?"

"You know me for nine years and now I reminding you of someone? And I'm wearing glasses for ten years now, an accident that happened to me during a robbery."

"I never saw you wearing them before."

"I can't help the fact that you tend to ignore me." He smiled. "Superman, ha?" he picking up the paper.

"Yeah. It's seems to fit. With the S and everything."

"And somehow it's fits perfectly as a huge headline." Lois grabbed the paper from his hand.

"Mock till your heart content, Smallville. Maybe, with a lot of hard work and huge amount of luck, you'll have your own byline in the front page. Maybe."

To be continued in the comics...


End file.
